Install ECX as a Virtual Appliance

To install ECX, deploy an OVF template. This creates a virtual appliance containing the application on a VMware host such as an ESX or ESXi server. To run ECX, access the newly created virtual machine.

Before deployment, run MD5 Checksum on the downloaded OVA file. Ensure the generated checksum matches the one provided in the MD5 Checksum file, which is part of the software download.

You may need to configure an IP address pool associated with the VM network where you plan to deploy ECX. Correct configuration of the IP address pool includes the setup of IP address range (if used), netmask, gateway, DNS search string, and a DNS server IP address.

To use DHCP instead of a static IP address, the network must have access to a properly configured DHCP server. Leave fields blank when prompted to enter network properties.

For later versions of vSphere, the vSphere Web Client may be required to deploy ECX appliances.

Review the email from Catalogic Data Protection Technical Support, which includes a product key necessary for running ECX.

To install ECX as a virtual appliance:

Use the vSphere Client to deploy ECX. From the File menu, choose Deploy OVF Template. If using the vSphere Web Client, click Create/Register VM, then select Deploy a virtual machine from an OFV or OVA file. Click Next.

Review the template details and accept the End User License Agreement. Click Next.

Provide a meaningful name for the template, which becomes the name of your virtual machine. Identify an appropriate location to deploy the virtual machine. Click Next.

Identify the datacenter, server, and resource pool for deployment. When prompted to select storage, select from datastores already configured on the destination host. The virtual machine configuration file and virtual disk files are stored on the datastore. Select a datastore large enough to accommodate the virtual machine and all of its virtual disk files. Click Next.

Select a disk format to store the virtual disks. It is recommended that you select thick provisioning, which is preselected for optimized performance. Thin provisioning requires less disk space, but may impact performance. Click Next.

Select networks for the deployed template to use. Several available networks on the ESX server may be available by clicking Destination Networks. Select a destination network that allows you to define the appropriate IP address allocation for the virtual machine deployment. Click Next.

Review your template selections. Click Finish to exit the wizard and to start deployment of the OVF template. Deployment might take significant time.

After OVF template deployment completes, power on your newly created virtual machine. This can be done from vSphere Client.

Note: The virtual machine must remain powered on for the ECX application to be accessible.

Make a note of the IP address of the newly created virtual machine. This is needed to log on to the application. Find the IP address in vSphere Client by clicking your newly created virtual machine and looking in the Summary tab.

Note: You must allow several minutes for ECX to initialize completely.

Upload the Product Key

A valid product key is required to access ECX and all of its features. The product key is sent as a file in an email from Catalogic Software Data Protection Technical Support.

Save the product key, ECX.lic, to a computer with Internet access. Make a note of the location on your computer.

From a supported browser, enter the following URL to access the Administrative Console of the virtual machine where ECX is deployed:

https://<HOSTNAME>:8090/

where <HOSTNAME> is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.

In the login window, select System from the Authentication Type drop-down menu. Enter your password to access the Administrative Console. The default password is ecxadLG235.